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Nanomagnetic Sponges To Clean Precious Works Of Art

Date:
September 6, 2007
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Chemists in Italy are reporting "a real breakthrough" in technology for cleaning and conserving priceless oil paintings, marble sculptures and other works of art in a new article. They have successfully tested "nanomagnetic sponges" to clean the artwork. The process could have a range of other applications in cosmetics, detergents, and biotechnology.
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Chemists in Italy are reporting "a real breakthrough" in technology for cleaning and conserving priceless oil paintings, marble sculptures and other works of art in a new article.

In the report in ACS' Langmuir, Piero Baglioni and colleagues describe development and successful testing on artworks of "nanomagnetic sponges" that could have a range of other applications in cosmetics, detergents, and biotechnology.

Highlighting potential uses in art conservation, the report explains that conservators often use solvents and other cleaning agents in a gel formulation, somewhat similar in consistency to gelatin desert. Compared to liquids, gels have less of a tendency to soak deep into the surface of artwork and cause damage. Gels, however, are difficult to remove from painted surfaces and may leave behind undesirable residues.

The new nanomagnetic sponges -- made from nanoparticles so small that about 10,000 would fit across the diameter of a human hair -- overcome that problem, the report states. The sponges can be loaded with solvents and other cleaning agents, and cut with a knife or scissors into desired shapes for application to specific, soiled areas of a painting. When the cleaning is done, conservators can remove the gel with a magnet.

"The nanomagnetic gel represents the most advanced and versatile system for cleaning and will have a dramatic impact on the conventional methods used in the conservation field and in several other fields where fine tuning of the release or uptake of confined material is required," the report states.

Reference; "Nanomagnetic Sponges for the Cleaning of Works of Art" Langmuir, Aug. 14, 2007.


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Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "Nanomagnetic Sponges To Clean Precious Works Of Art." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 September 2007. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070903103014.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2007, September 6). Nanomagnetic Sponges To Clean Precious Works Of Art. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070903103014.htm
American Chemical Society. "Nanomagnetic Sponges To Clean Precious Works Of Art." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070903103014.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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